Moving on
by LMXB
Summary: Set after the events of For the Girl who has Everything this deals with Kara's grief and her moving on with life with the help of her friends and family.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Supergirl or the characters.

 **A/N:** So this is written at the request of Snowgirl01 and is set following the events of The Girl who has Everything. It will be a James/Kara story.

* * *

Kara sat in the darkness of her apartment trying to come to terms with everything. She felt so lost, so empty. She had tried to be happy, tried to be cheery for her friends, for her family, but it had been a lie. She wasn't happy. She had lost her world once more and she had lost her aunt. More than that she was sure that her actions, her choice of fantasy world, had cost her her Earth family. Whilst James and Winn had seemed okay she knew deep down she had lost Alex. Her adoptive sister who could no longer look her in the eye.

She knew she needed to talk to someone before the hole in her heart became unrepairable, but she had no one. She doubted, even if they could forgive her, that her Earth family would understand. To them Krypton had been destroyed years ago and Kara had already dealt with it. As for Astra, she was viewed as the enemy. She considered Hank, but he was still processing the recents events that brought up his past. She knew he wasn't ready to carry her grief. She considered her cousin, but he wouldn't understand. He had never known Krypton. Feeling more alone than she had any any point since arriving at Earth she hugged her pillow and cried.

-00-

The following morning Kara was disturbed from her thoughts by a knocking on her door. Using her X-ray vision she was surprised to see James on the other side. For a moment she considered not opening the door and to pretend to be somewhere else. But then she guessed James might worry if she pulled another disappearing act and she cared too much for him to do that. So instead she hurriedly dressed, fixed a smile on her face and opened the door.

"Hey." James smiled.

"Hey, were we meant to be meeting?" Kara asked confused.

"No, I just wanted to check on you. Make sure you hadn't taken on any other strange alien parasites."

"One a lifetime is enough." Kara said.

"So you want to go get some breakfast?" James asked. "I hear Noonan's do really good sticky buns."

"Thanks, but no. I already have plans." Kara lied, not wanting to pretend to be happy.

"Yeah, sorry I should have guessed Alex would be round. I swear I have never seen her so freaked, so out of control." James said. "I guess you know, but you are really lucky having someone like her looking out for you. Anyway, I don't want to interrupt so I'll go." He then paused and looked at the Kryptonian. "Kara, I am really happy you are back." He added, wanting to say more, but not sure what or how.

"Thank you."

"Are you happy to be back?" James asked suddenly noticing a lost look in Kara's eyes.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" She said forcing her smile to grow.

"Okay, well if you want to talk or meet up, just ring."

"I will." Kara promised him. But as he saw that lost look in her again he stepped forward and hugged her. The action surprising them both, but yet they both relaxed into the hug as James said.

"I'm here for you."

With that he pulled away and left.

-00-

Half an hour later James was finishing his coffee when he saw Alex at the counter of Noonan's alone. Confused he approached her.

"Alex?"

"Hey James."

"Is Kara not with you?"

"No, she blew me off." Alex replied. "Why?"

"When I saw her a little while ago she blew me off too. Then let me believe she was seeing you."

"No, she told me she needed some time." Alex said, concern etched in her face.

"She's been through a lot." James commented.

"I can't imagine how hard it is for her right now. She lost everything, again." Alex said sadly.

"She didn't lose us." James pointed out.

"But in that fantasy world she didn't even know we existed." Alex said. "I forced her to come back and then Astra..." She trailed off.

"She chose to come back." James pointed out. "You didn't force her. You just helped her to see what was real. You heard her, this is where she belongs."

"As Winn pointed out I ripped her from heaven and brought her back to a world where she had to watch her aunt die all because-"

"Astra chose her own path." James said. "I'm sure Kara knows that. Besides what happened to Astra was not your fault."

"It's not that simple. Right now I rally don't know how to help her." Alex said picking up her coffee. "I'll catch you later."

"Sure." James said. As he watched Alex go he sighed. He knew Kara needed help and he knew she needed more than he could offer and more than Alex could offer. So he called the only other person he could think of.

-00-

"Hey." James said entering his apartment and seeing Lucy sitting at the table. "I thought you were out of the city until next week."

"I was, but I needed to see you."

"What's wrong?" He asked as he sat opposite her.

"I realised something while I was away which was hammered home when I spoke to you yesterday."

"You okay?" James asked concerned.

"Yeah, no. We need to talk."

"Sounds serious." James said sitting opposite Lucy. "What's up?"

"Us."

"Us what?"

"James, I wanted so badly for this to work." Lucy said.

"It is working."

"No, no it's not." She said reaching across the table and taking his hand in hers.

"James, you are a good guy and you want to make everyone happy, including me."

"Especially you."

"That's why you won't do what needs to be done."

"What are you talking about?" James asked confused.

"I always assumed it was Superman who came between us. Then when I came out here I feared that it would be Supergirl. And yesterday when you were telling me what was happening I was sure it was Supergirl. But at the end of the day I was blaming the wrong people."

"You've lost me." James said. "Who are you blaming and for what?"

"I'm not blaming anyone, not anymore. There is no blame. You care for me, of that I have no doubt. But you don't love me, not really. That is why this can't work."

"Lucy-" James started only for the younger Lane to cut him off.

"I don't blame you or resent you. But I have to end this. We are living with our lives on hold. We both deserve to be happy and being together isn't going to bring us that happiness. Deep down you know that. I will always care for you and I will never regret the time we have spent together, but it is time to move on. For both of us." With that she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek and said, "Goodbye James."

-00-

"Clark?" Kara asked opening the door to her cousin. "Wh... what are you doing here?"

"I thought it was time for a family visit."

"Why now?"

"Jimmy mentioned you had had a difficult few days and seeing you are too stubborn to ask for help I thought I would come over and see you." Clark smiled.

"I'm fine." Kara lied.

"Then this is just a long overdue social call. You aren't really going to turn me away are you?"

"Come in." Kara said stepping away from the door.

"Nice place you have here." He commented as he entered the apartment. "I'm sorry I don't visit more often."

"You have your own life, well two lives in fact."

"So do you." Clark reminded her. "I should have said this a while ago. But I'm proud of you, becoming Supergirl. Helping others."

"Thank you."

"I know it is hard, leading two lives, but from what I hear you are doing a great job." Clark smiled.

"I don't know about that, maybe before, but definitely not now. I am fairly sure I have destroyed one life."

"What are you talking about?"

"I hurt everyone so much. Everyone has been so good to me, but my perfect world didn't involve any of them. Alex risked her life to save me and she must be wondering why she bothered. I must look so ungrateful."

"I'm sure she understands."

"She won't even look me in the eye anymore." Kara said sadly. "She nearly died trying to save me. I can't imagine how hurt she must have been when I didn't even remember her."

"That was the work of the parasite." Clark pointed out.

"Feeding off my subconscious." Kara countered.

"Kara you chose to come back. That means something." Clark said before asking. "So tell me about it."

"What?"

"Your fantasy, Krypton."

"Why would you want to hear about it?"

"Firstly, it will be one of my only chances to learn more about where I came from. Secondly, it may help you to talk about it." Clark said. When Kara didn't immediately respond he thought she wasn't going to, then finally she said.

"You were there."

"I was?"

"Yeah, you were like twelve, very sweet."

"Sweet?" Clark asked amused.

"Astra was there as well. In my dream world Non had been sentenced to Fort Rozz but Aunt Astra hadn't. I think that is what made her death in this world so much harder." Kara said wiping a stray tear from her cheek. "It felt like moments before we had been family again, she had been good again. Then she was gone." She added as her voice cracked and the tears fell.

"Hey, it will be okay." Clark said hugging his cousin. "I was all alone on this planet for years. There was no one else who could even begin to understand how I felt or how lonely I was. And yes I had a human family who did so much for me, but even with them I was still lonely."

"I'm sorry." Kara said. "I was meant to be there."

"You had no control over what happened." Clark said. "But what I meant was I know I can't understand what you are feeling right now, but I understand loneliness and emptiness."

"You know, after I found you I was actually a little jealous of you?" Clark asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Me? Why?" Kara asked baffled.

"I never knew Krypton, I never knew my family. But you did. You remembered it, you knew your parents. You knew where you had come from. I never stopped to consider what a curse that must have been for you. I never knew what I had lost. I guess it is impossible to miss what you have never had, but despite that I have so much emptiness in me. I can't imagine what it was like for you to know what you lost. I'm sorry I abandoned you when you got here."

"You didn't abandon me, you found me a home, a new family."

-00-

"Hey guys." James greeted as Clark and Kara approached his table in Noonan's.

"Hey." Clark smiled. "It is good to see you again."

"Likewise."

"You okay?" Kara asked. "You look a little down."

"I'm fine." James said.

"And people say I am a terrible liar." Kara commented.

"Lucy broke up with me." James sighed.

"I'm sorry." Kara said feeling like her foot was in her mouth.

"Don't be, it wasn't a bad break up."

"What does that mean?" Clark asked.

"It means it was something that should have happened a long time ago." James said. "I cared, still care for Lucy, but she was right I didn't love her. I thought I did and I tried to persuade myself I did, but in the end I didn't."

"I'm sorry." Kara said.

"Don't be. It is a good thing."

"It is?"

"It means we can both move on and we both have a chance at being happy." He said before looking at Kara and saying. "Speaking of being happy, how are you doing?"

"I'm okay. A little hungry so I'm going to grab some food. You guys want something?" Seeing them both shake their heads she walked off.

"So what really happened with Lucy?" Clark asked as Kara disappeared.

"It's just as I said."

"You are hiding something."

"Lucy ended it, but if she hadn't I would have done anyway."

"Why's that?"

"Because I recently realised that I wasn't in love with Lucy by realising I was in love with someone else. To stay with Lucy would have been unfair."

"And this someone else, does she feel the same about you?"

"I hope so, but we have never discussed it. We are friends and right now that is what she needs." James said glancing over at Kara who was picking up a sticky bun.

"You're in love with Kara?" Clark asked surprised.

"Keep your voice down." James instructed. "But yeah, I am. I didn't realise until I nearly lost her. I mean there was always a kind of spark between us, but I guess I always put that down to her being special. But when she was lying there I realised how empty life would be without her."

"This isn't just a rebound thing?" Clark asked, clearly concerned for both his cousin and his friend.

"No, no it's not." James said. "And I am not going to say anything until I am sure we are both ready." He then glanced back over to Kara and asked. "How is she doing?"

"She's hurting. She's confused and lonely." Clark said sadly. "Thank you for calling me."

"Thanks for coming." James countered.

"Everything okay?" Kara asked as she returned with her order.

"Yeah, it's all good." James replied.

"I have to go, I have something I need to do." Clark said. "I'll catch you later."

"So. How are you doing really?" James asked.

"I'll be okay." Kara said. "Thank you for calling Clark."

"Thank you for not getting mad this time." He smiled. "You know you can talk to me about anything?" James said. "I know there are somethings that only Clark will understand and somethings only Alex will understand, but I am always ready to listen."

"I know, thank you."

"And," James went on. "You can always be yourself round me. You don't have to pretend to be someone else, or pretend to be happy when you're not." Leaning across he took Kara's hand and said. "You really scared me. I thought you weren't going to make it and the thought of you not coming back, it...it really hit me how much you mean to me."

-00-

"I never thought I would see the day when Superman joined the DEO." Hank said amused.

"I'm not joining." Superman replied. "Just visiting."

"So what brings you down here?"

"Alex Danvers. I was hoping to see her."

"I'm assuming this is about your cousin?" Hank asked.

"It is."

"How is she doing?"

"Not as good as she wants people to believe."

"I'm sorry."

"You did what you felt needed to be done. She knows that." Superman said following Hank through the corridors to Alex's lab.

"I'll leave you to it." Hank said.

"Alex?" Superman called from the door, causing her to jump before spinning round.

"What are you doing here? Is Kara okay?"

"She's mourning." Superman said. "And she feels guilty."

"About about?" Alex asked, wondering what Kara had to feel guilty about.

"The fantasy world she created. The fact it didn't contain any of her Earth family."

"Why would it?" Alex asked. "She still has us so she doesn't need to fantasise about it."

"So you are okay with it?" Superman asked.

"Well yeah, why are you asking? Wait Kara thinks I resent her for wanting her old life?" Alex asked confused.

"From your expression I take it you don't?"

"Of course not. Why would she think that?"

"I don't know. But she thinks you are avoiding her because of it."

"I'm not." Alex said feeling even more guilty than she did before.

"Good, in which case I need your help with something."

-00-

"Where are we going?" Kara asked as James drove down a deserted highway.

"You'll see." James replied.

"Are we nearly there?"

"Nearly."

"You know I could have flown, it would have been quicker."

"We're not in any rush." James said, amused by her impatience. "Unless you don't like my company all of a sudden."

"That's not it."

"Good, because it is a long drive back." James commented.

"So are you really okay with the whole Lucy thing?" Kara asked.

"I am." James said. "But that topic is off limits tonight. Tonight is about you."

"You keep saying that, but you are not giving any details."

"Everything will be clear soon."

"How soon?"

"Two minutes." James said pulling off the road. "We're here."

"We're in the middle of no where." Kara pointed out. As she stepped out of the car she saw a small group gathered in the distance and asked. "What's going on?"

"You'll see." James said indicating she should walk towards the group.

"Kara, sweetie." Eliza said hugging her foster daughter. "I'm so sorry."

"Eliza?" Kara asked confused. "What are you doing here?" Looking round at the assembled crowd she saw Winn, Alex, Clark and Martha Kent. "What are you all doing here?"

"We are here for you." Alex said as Clark stepped forward and explained.

"After our conversation earlier I wanted to do something to help you say goodbye. I don't know if you know, but I have a place where I can talk to holograms of my family. From them I learned about the Kryptonian traditions when it came to deaths. We decided we should give Astra, your family, our family and all of Krypton a proper Kryptonian send off. But to that we need family, all family, to be present."

"We may not be related to you or Astra by blood, but you are our family." Eliza said. "And that makes Astra and all of your family our family too."

"You and Clark carry such burdens." Martha said. "I know that both of you must feel terribly alone at times, but you are never alone. We are your family and we will always be here for both of you."

"Blood bonds us all." Clark said looking at Kara who quietly repeated.

"Blood bonds us all."


	2. Chapter 2

_**-A week later**_

"Kira, you've decided to return then?" Cat asked not looking up from her work.

"Yes Ms Grant." Kara said placing a coffee on Cat's desk.

"I assume there will be no repeat of your emotional breakdown."

"No Ms Grant." Kara said confused and wondering what exactly had gone on between Hank and Cat.

"Good. Next time something traumatic happens in your life that makes you unfit to work I suggest you phone in."

"Yes Ms Grant."

"Good, well you may go and catch up with your work." Cat said before finally looking up and saying. "And Kira, I'm sorry for your loss."

-00-

"Hey you." James smiled as Kara entered his office.

"Hey." Kara smiled from the door.

"I think you may have confused me with Cat." James said, when he saw Kara's confusion he added. "I don't bite."

"Oh right." Kara said entering the office.

"So how are things?"

"Good."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, spending time away from here was good. Helped put everything into focus. So I'm now fully focused. How are you doing?"

"Me? Fine. Why wouldn't I be?" James asked.

"Lucy."

"It's fine."

"Really?"

"Really, Lucy and I should have ended it a long time ago. We're still friends and we have both moved on."

"You've moved on already?"

"Not like it may have sounded. What I meant is, I am in a Lucy free phase of my life. More importantly though, how are you doing?"

"Fine."

"And the truth?"

"Fine, really."

"You once told me that you were taught it is an honour to accept help from others."

"I did say that." Kara conceded.

"Soooo, surely that means you will accept my help."

"I have always accepted your help." Kara said.

"Apart from now. You are closing yourself off. You can talk to me about anything. So what's on your mind?"

"I'm worried about Alex." Kara said, confusing James.

"Alex? Why?"

"She always seems stressed. Something is clearly wrong but she won't talk about it. Now she has run off to help some operation in Opal City, it feels like she is avoiding me."

"When you were under control of the Black Mercy, Alex was really freaked. If you ask me Alex needs to talk to someone, but doesn't want to talk to you because she doesn't want to add to your stress."

"That makes sense, I guess." Kara said. "So how can I help her?"

"By helping yourself. If Alex thinks you are ok I'm sure she'll open up. And don't say you're fine you have just lost your parents and planet, again, not to mention your aunt. You need time to get over something like that. And a friend to talk to. Which you will always have in me."

"Thanks." Kara smiled as they both looked at each other. After a moment of awkward silence James smiled and suggested.

"Let's go out."

"Out?"

"Dinner, tonight."

"You and me?" Kara asked pointing from James to herself.

"That was the idea. So what do you say? You, me, chicken wings? We can talk, enjoy each others company, catch up."

"You had me at chicken wings." Kara smiled.

-00-

"What are you doing?" Winn asked entering James' office later that day.

"Sorting out the feature photos." James said not looking up. "Why, you need something?"

"That's not what I meant." Winn said closing the door and entering the office. "I meant what are you doing with Kara?"

"How do you mean?"

"You are taking her out tonight."

"I am, she needs someone to talk to and Alex is being distant."

"So you're stepping up."

"I am. Look, I know things have been weird between the two of you recently and that may be my fault, but I promise you I am just looking out for her." James said.

"I just want Kara to be happy. I get that I can't do that and if you can then so be it, I will be happy for her, for both of you. And I know she thinks you can do that, but do you believe that? You have only just broken up with Lucy. Kara has been through so much recently I don't want to see her get hurt because you offer something you can't really give." Winn said.

"Look Winn, tonight is about being there for Kara. Yes I realised recently that I wanted more than just friendship with Kara, but I am not going to do anything until she is ready."

"As much as it pains me to say it, technically she has been ready since the day she saw you." Winn said. "Just make sure you are."

"Of course."

"Oh and James?"Winn said as he reached the door.

"Yeah."

"Just so you know, when Clark was in town I got his number and promised to ring if anyone hurt Kara." With that Winn left.

-00-

"Sorry I'm late." Kara said when she finally arrived at Noonan's.

"No worries, is everything okay?"

"Yeah, Cat gave me extra tasks just as I was about to leave."

"How are things going with her?"

"Um, well, I wouldn't class our relationship as good, but she hasn't thrown any stationery at me so it could be worse. Plus she hasn't fired me."

"Not even Cat would fire someone after a bereavement." James said as a waitress brought two baskets of wings over.

"I'm not sure. I'm not exactly sure what Hank did as me, but I think Cat may have been pretty tempted to fire me."

"Have you asked him what happened?"

"No, not really spoken much. And to be honest I'm not sure I want to know what happened."

"I'm sure Cat will forgive you, eventually." James tried to reassure her.

"I hope so." Kara said before noticing James was counting and asked, as she picked up another wing. "Why are you counting?"

"You eat more when you are happy. So I am judging your happiness on wings eaten."

"I do not. Do I?"

"Yeah, you do." James smiled again.

"I also eat when I'm stressed or unhappy or have been flying around."

"True, you always eat. But you eat most when you are happy."

"So where am I on the chicken wing happiness scale?" Kara asked.

"I'll let you know, but I'm thinking six."

"Is that good or bad?"

"It's okay, but could do with improvement." Reaching over James squeezed Kara's hand and said. "I'm really glad you're back."

"I'm glad I'm back too." Kara smiled. "I missed you."

"I missed you too." James said looking directly at Kara. The two looked at each other until the moment was broken by Kara's phone. The noise causing Kara to jump back slightly before reaching for her phone.

"Sorry, I have to go. There's an incident at the DEO."

"I understand." James said as Kara stood and said.

"James, thank you for tonight."

"Anytime. I'm always here for you."

"I know."

"Be careful out there." He smiled.

"Always."

 _ **TBC...**_


End file.
